US4408846AExpiredUtility

Method and apparatus for increasing visual acuity

76
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Feb 2, 1981Filed: Feb 2, 1981Granted: Oct 11, 1983
Est. expiryFeb 2, 2001(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Richard F. Balliet
A61H 5/00A61B 3/032
76
PatentIndex Score
80
Cited by
1
References
30
Claims

Abstract

A method and apparatus for increasing visual acuity of a person wherein a target is selectively moved toward or away from the person to different positions at accurately determined distances therefrom. At each of the positions, the person is required to identify the appearance of the target which is randomly changed to any one of a plurality of different appearances. The concept includes the moving of the target further away from the person whenever the identification of the target appearance is correct at a given position and moving the target closer to the person whenever the identification is incorrect. The invention comprehends moving the target incrementally at smaller distances away from the person than toward the person. A Badal lens is interposed between the person and the target for causing the focal points to be at the nodal point of the eye of the person. The target is illuminated with red light in the illustrated embodiment and is defined by line gratings wherein the different appearances of the target are provided by different diagonal line orientations. A display is provided for indicating to the user at all times the target distance and recording apparatus is provided for recording the respective distance and identifications for subsequent use in analysis of the visual training. The system is advantageously adapted for increasing the far-point acuity of a myopic person, as well as increasing the visual acuity of an emmetropic person.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
I claim: 
     
       1. The method of increasing visual acuity of a myopic person, comprising the steps of: determining the far point of the myopic person's visual acuity;   providing a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point;   positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point with the target randomly displaying one of said appearances for identification by said person   moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect; and   repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.   
     
     
       2. The method of increasing visual acuity of an emmetropic person to a greater distance, comprising the steps of: determining the far point of the emmetropic person's visual acuity;   providing a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point;   positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point with the target randomly displaying one of said appearances for identification by said person   moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect; and   repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.   
     
     
       3. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein said identifications are caused to be made monocularly by said person. 
     
     
       4. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein said target displays two mirror image appearances. 
     
     
       5. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the movement of the target toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification is larger than the movement away from said person pursuant to a correct identification. 
     
     
       6. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the movement of the target toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification is at least approximately three times larger than the movement away from said person pursuant to a correct identification. 
     
     
       7. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the target is moved approximately 0.10 diopter away from said person pursuant to a correct identification. 
     
     
       8. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the target is moved approximately 0.30 diopter toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification. 
     
     
       9. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 including the further step of recording the target distances and corresponding correct and incorrect identifications for further analysis. 
     
     
       10. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 including the further step of recording the target distances and corresponding correct and incorrect identifications for further analysis and provision of mean and standard deviation computation based thereon. 
     
     
       11. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 including the provision of a readout display of the target distance at all times to the person. 
     
     
       12. The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the target is illuminated with red light. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus for increasing visual acuity of a person having a determined far point, comprising: means defining a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point;   means for positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point;   means for randomly causing one of said target appearances to be displayed at said first position for identification by the person;   means for moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect, and repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.   
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for positioning the target comprises a support and means for incrementally moving the support toward or away from the person. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 13 including means for fixing the nodal point of the person's eye in a preselected position adjacent said target. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 13 including a bite bar for fixing the nodal point of a person's eye in a preselected position adjacent said target. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for positioning the target comprises an optical bench-like device having a support and means for incrementally moving the support toward or away from the person. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said target comprises gratings. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said target comprises gratings equal to 20 cycles per degree. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a stop aperture is positioned between the person and the target, said stop aperture having small visual angle field such as approximately 3°. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein means are provided for illuminating said target. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein means are provided for illuminating said target with red light. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein means are provided for transilluminating said target with red light having a 632 n.m. dominant wavelength. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a positive lens is positioned for viewing of the target therethrough by said person. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a +10 diopter lens is positioned for viewing of the target by said person. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 13 further including means for recording the respective identifications made by the person and corresponding target distances in the use of the apparatus. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 13 further including a display indicating the target distance to the person. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said positioning means comprises means for causing the movement of the target away from said person pursuant to a correct identification to be smaller than the movement toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said positioning means comprises means for causing the movement of the target away from said person pursuant to a correct identification to be at least approximately three times smaller than the movement toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a Badal lens is positioned for viewing of the target by said person.

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